The Charity Commission has appointed Emma Moody to the role of interim manager at Mohiuddin Trust (1105585), a charity with objects to relieve poverty and advance education and training for the public benefit. The appointment was made due to continued concerns over the management of the charity.

Interim managers are appointed to take over the running of a charity where the Commission has identified misconduct or mismanagement, or there is a need to protect the charity’s property.

The Commission opened a statutory inquiry into Mohiuddin Trust on 5 December 2018 to examine concerns over potential misconduct and mismanagement at the charity. This includes a serious ongoing dispute at the charity and questions about whether those in control of the charity have fulfilled their legal obligations in managing the charity.

Sufficient progress to resolve the dispute has not been made, which continues to impact the day-to-day running of the charity. The Commission therefore exercised its legal powers to appoint an interim manager to the charity on 25 March 2019. Emma Moody of Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP takes on full control of the administration and management of the charity until the Commission makes a further order.

She will have all the powers and duties of a trustee to the exclusion of anyone purporting to be a trustee of the charity. Her duties will include restoring the charity’s governance and ensuring the proper management and administration of the charity.

The Commission’s inquiry continues.

Ends

Notes to Editors

• The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. For more information see the about us page on GOV.UK
• Section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission power to appoint interim managers to a charity.
• It is the Charity Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries are available on GOV.UK
• The appointment of an interim manager is a temporary and protective measure.

Measures including longer sentences for several terrorism offences and ending automatic early release for convicted terrorists have commenced two months after the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act received Royal Assent.

The management of convicted terrorist offenders has also been strengthened with stricter notification requirements.

It is now illegal to recklessly express support for, or publish images of flags, emblems or clothing in a way which suggests you are a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation and certain preparatory terrorism offences, including encouragement of terrorism or the dissemination of terrorist publications, now carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid said:

These new laws give the police the powers they need to disrupt terrorist plots earlier and ensure that those who seek to do us harm face just punishment.

As we saw in the deadly attacks in London and Manchester in 2017, the threat from terrorism continues to evolve and so must our response, which is why these vital new measures have been introduced.

A new offence introduced in the Act also gives the Home Secretary the power to designate an area outside of the UK, subject to Parliamentary approval, to restrict UK nationals and residents from entering or remaining in that area, if he is satisfied that it is necessary to protect members of the public from terrorism.

An individual found to have entered or remained in a designated area, unless for a legitimate reason such as being there involuntarily, could face up to 10 years in prison. The offence will not allow the retrospective prosecution of those who have already travelled overseas to fight and returned to the UK, but it will assist in a future conflict to which UK nationals or residents seek to travel.

Furthermore, the Act extends extra-territorial jurisdiction for a number of terrorism offences including inviting support for a proscribed organisation and making or possessing explosives for the purposes of carrying out an act of terrorism.

The provisions that have commenced today:

• create an offence of reckless expressions of support for a proscribed organisation
• create an offence of publication of images, and a police power to seize items as evidence, related to a proscribed organisation
• create an offence of obtaining or viewing terrorist material over the internet
• create an offence of entering or remaining in a designated area
• amend the offences of encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications
• extend extra-territorial jurisdiction for certain offences including inviting support for a proscribed organisation
• increase maximum sentences for terrorism offences
• make extended sentences available for terrorism offences – ending automatic early release and allowing a longer period on licence
• strengthen notification requirements on convicted terrorists, and introduce greater powers to enter and search their homes
• extend Serious Crime Prevention Orders for terrorism offences
• introduce further traffic regulations
• provide for a statutory review of Prevent

Updated legislation was central to the government’s updated counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, which was published in 2018 following a fundamental review after the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester in 2017.

Further provisions in the Act to crackdown on hostile state activity, will come into force in the coming months. The Home Office is currently consulting on the codes of practice governing the use of this power.

At about 22:55 hrs on Tuesday 12 March 2019, a passenger fell onto the track at Ashton-under-Lyne terminus tram stop on the Manchester Metrolink system. The passenger, who was in a vulnerable condition, had alighted from a tram that had arrived at the stop. He then leant on the side of the tram as it subsequently departed. Once the tram had left, he was no longer supported by it. He fell from the tram stop platform and landed on the track. He remained there until he was seen by the driver of the next tram to arrive at Ashton-under-Lyne. The driver of that tram stopped short of the passenger and summoned the emergency services. The passenger was taken to hospital.

Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events which led to the accident, and will consider:

• the actions of the driver of the departing tram
• the training and guidance provided to tram drivers in considering when it is safe to move a tram
• the guidance given to Metrolink staff relating to vulnerable members of the public on tram services
• the way the incident was managed by the parties involved
• any underlying management factors

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry, the British Transport Police or by the industry’s regulator Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is hosting a launch event for ‘Stopping it in its Tracks’ – Phase 2. This will take place in London, on the 16 May 2019. If you think you have an idea that could be adapted from its current use, to stop a tracked vehicle such as a tank, then we would like to meet you.

In this competition, we are seeking proposals for novel approaches to stop or impede tanks and other heavy armoured vehicles while preventing or minimising collateral damage. Approaches do not need to focus on physical barriers, but can target the mobility, vision or even the engine.

DASA has already facilitated a range of innovators to develop such technologies on behalf of the Army in a proof-of concept Phase 1. Four suppliers were funded with technologies ranging from targeting the engine and sensors to deploying wired mesh technology to inhibit the tracks.

Dr Adam Staines at DASA said:

We are looking to harness the latest thinking and any advances in engineering, design, materials science, computing and non-kinetic weapons. Whilst the primary focus is defence, we are also interested in technologies that have wider security applications, such as preventing vehicle-related terrorist attacks.

Total funding of up to £3 million is available for Phase 2 of this competition from which we anticipate funding around 5-6 projects. Suppliers do not have to have been in Phase 1 of the competition to take part. Additional funding may be available for future phases of this competition.

To attend the event please register via Eventbrite.

Market leader Rentokil completed the takeover of its close rival Mitie in September 2018. The firms are two of the leading suppliers of pest control services in the UK to commercial customers.

After opening an investigation into the merger, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has today issued its phase 1 decision. Having considered a wide range of evidence, it has found there could be a substantial reduction in competition, which may lead to higher prices or reduced quality for customers that primarily use a single provider across the whole or a large part of the UK.

This is because Rentokil and Mitie are 2 of the 4 major suppliers at this level, with a large combined market share. The CMA has found that it is unlikely that other companies will expand or enter the market in a timely manner and offset the loss of competition caused by the merger.

Rentokil must now offer proposals to address these concerns by 23 April or face an in-depth Phase 2 investigation into the merger.

Further details are available on the investigation case page.